Saturday, July 31, 2010

There is nothing more
powerful in heaven or on earth than prayer, and so there is nothing more
necessary than prayer.

This
simple truth can stand for the core conviction of St. Alphonsus’ spiritual
wisdom. In an age wracked by the pessimism and despair of both the Protestant and the Jansenist heretics, St. Alphonsus proclaimed the mercy and the love of
God in conjunction with the omnipotence of prayer. Against the double
predestination which was so ruthlessly formulated by Calvin, St. Alphonsus
insisted that the grace of prayer is given to all men and that, by prayer,
every other grace (including the grace of salvation itself) is easily secured.

Against
the Jansenists and rigorists of his day, St. Alphonsus proclaimed that even the
most difficult commandments are easily fulfilled, if only we ask God for the
grace through prayer. All who fall into sin, fall simply because they did not
pray. Whereas, all who persevere in grace, persevere not because of their own strength,
but on account of the power of prayer.

How
important St. Alphonsus’ doctrine is in our own day! We too begin to doubt the
necessity and the power of prayer. How easy it is for us to forget to pray or
to think that prayer is merely something “sentimental”. Without daily prayer,
we will surely be damned. But with prayer, our salvation is secured.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Apostasy
is the only sin which severs the life of faith completely. Every other sin,
even mortal sin, while injuring or destroying the bond of charity, does not remove
faith. Thus, the sinner in the state of mortal sin (excluding apostasy) is
still united to the Body of Christ through faith, though this union is in no
way salvific, since the faith is dead (lacking love/charity).

Apostasy,
on the other hand, completely severs the bond of faith and, by this sin, the
individual is removed entirely from the Mystical Body. It is on account of the
drastic consequences of this most grave sin that St. Paul strongly warned
against apostasy in the Letter to the Hebrews 10:25, warning the community not
to neglect “meeting together.”

In
his commentary on this passage, St. Thomas sets forth the three principle
causes of apostasy.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

The
rich man of this Sunday’s Gospel is blessed with a bountiful harvest. Rather
than thanking God for this gift, he hoards the grain in his barns – his heart
is possessed by his possessions. At the moment of death, the Lord calls him a fool,
for he was not rich in what matters to God.

The
Fathers of the Church, and St. Thomas Aquinas following them, see in this
parable a strong teaching of social justice. Their teachings have in turn been
integrated into the Social Doctrine of the Church. Here we will consider St.
Thomas’ exposition of the doctrine as well as several important quotations from the
Church Fathers.

The common destination of
all goods and right to private property

We
must first affirm that man has a right to own private property. All men have a
natural right to make use of material goods. According to positive human law,
men also have a right to private property – this is necessary for the good
order of society and the proper care of the goods themselves, it also serves as
a means of restraining greed and inciting toward generosity (a man can give
alms only if he has some property of his own).

However,
it is equally clear in the Church’s Tradition, as expressed by the Fathers of
the Church and magisterial teachings, that the right to private property is
subordinate to the universal destination of all goods. That is, the right to
private property cannot be extended to the point of depriving others of the
basic material necessities of life. Every man has the right to the material
necessities of life – when he is deprived of these, while another has excess
wealth, a grave injustice has occurred.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Though
it might at first seem odd, we must admit that the “Our Father” prayer refers
to the whole Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – the Father is “Our Father,”
the Son is “Our Father,” and the Holy Spirit is “Our Father.” That being said, “Our
Father” refers in a special way to God the Father; not, however, so as to
exclude the Son or the Holy Spirit.

First,
if you remember your catechism, you will recall that “everything [in the
Trinity] is one where there is no opposition of relationship” (Council of Florence,
cited in the Catechism of the Catholic Church 255). This means that everything
that the Father is, so also is the Son, excepting that he is not the Father.
So, as the Father is God, so too the Son is God. As the Father is the Creator,
so too the Son is the Creator. Moreover, as the Father is worshiped, so too the
Son is worshiped. This means that whenever we pray to the Father, we also pray
to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. For the three are equal in all things, excepting
that one is the Father of the Son, one is the Son of the Father, and one is the
Spirit of the Father and the Son.

What
does this mean for us? It means that whatever we say of God the Father, we also
must say of God the Son and of God the Holy Spirit (excepting their Trinitarian
relations). So, if we pray to God the Father, calling him “Our Father;” we also
invoke the Son, calling him “Our Father.” For “Our Father” is first and
foremost the Blessed Trinity, who created us and redeemed us.

Still,
it is also equally certain that, by a certain fittingness we invoke God the
Father in a particular way when we pray, “Our Father.” For, although “the
personal relation of the Son to the Father is something man cannot conceive of
nor the angelic powers even dimly see … the Spirit of the Son grants a participation
in that very relation to us who believe that Jesus is the Christ and that we
are born of God” (CCC 2780).

The
whole Trinity is “Our Father” and, through the redemption won for us in Christ
Jesus, we participate in his Divine Filiation as sons in the Son.

See also, ST I, q.33, a.3 - “Whether this name ‘Father’ is applied to God,
firstly as a personal name?”

Thursday, July 22, 2010

As this great saint has been so sorely abused by deceitful and cunning men - whether in the "scholarly world" or in the popular media - it seems fitting that, on her feast day, we should show her some special honor and devotion as a small act of reparation.

Below follows the "Litany to St. Mary Magdalene" which, as you will notice, follows the Latin tradition of identifying her with the penitent woman and with Mary of Bethany.

Litany to St. Mary Magdalene

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ,
graciously hear us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us.

Saint Mary Magdalene, Pray
for us.

Sister of Martha and
Lazarus, Pray for us.

Who didst enter the
Pharisee's house to anoint the feet of Jesus, Pray for us.

Who didst wash His feet
with thy tears, Pray for us.

Who didst dry them with thy
hair, Pray for us.

Who didst cover them with
kisses, Pray for us.

Who wast vindicated by
Jesus before the proud Pharisee, Pray for us.

Who from Jesus received the
pardon of thy sins, Pray for us.

Who before darkness wast
restored to light, Pray for us.

Mirror of penance, Pray for us.

Disciple of Our Lord, Pray for us.

Wounded with the love of
Christ, Pray for us.

Most dear to the Heart of
Jesus, Pray for us.

Constant woman, Pray
for us.

Last at the Cross of Jesus,
first at His tomb, Pray for us.

Thou who wast the first to
see Jesus risen, Pray for us.

Whose forehead was
sanctified by the touch of thy risen Master, Pray for us.

Apostle of apostles, Pray
for us.

Who didst choose the
"better part," Pray for us.

Who lived for many years in
solitude being miraculously fed, Pray for us.

Let us pray. May the
glorious merits of blessed Mary Magdalene, we beseech Thee, O Lord, make our
offerings acceptable to Thee: for Thine only-begotten Son vouchsafed graciously
to accept the humble service she rendered. Who livest and reignest with Thee and
the Holy Ghost, God for ever and ever. R. Amen.

May the prayers of blessed
Mary Magdalene help us, O Lord : for it was in answer to them that Thou didst
call her brother Lazarus, four days after death, back from the grave to life.
Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, Unity in Trinity,
world without end. R. Amen.

St.
Mary Magdalene is often, at least in the Western tradition, connected with the
“sinful woman” of Luke 7:36-50. Though she is not named in these verses, St.
Luke immediately follows the sinful woman’s conversion story with a list of the
women who accompanied the Lord. Among these women is “Mary, called Magdalene,
from whom seven demons came out” (Luke 8:2).

Following
the Latin tradition, St. Thomas offers to us several interesting aspects of the
conversion of St. Mary Magdalene. His words will help us to understand her
conversion within the broader context of the spiritual life.

In every case of
conversion, several elements are present:

1) The (often
hidden) movement of grace which disposes the sinner for conversion.

2) Actual
contrition: sorrow for sin, purpose of amendment, and the desire to make
satisfaction for sin through penance.

3) Absolution
and restoration to grace.

Of
course, all these elements are present in the conversion of St. Mary Magdalene,
with a special emphasis on the aspect contrition and the relation this has to
forgiveness and the restoration to grace. This specific focus is manifest in our
Savior’s words in Luke 7:47, “So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.”

Saturday, July 17, 2010

The
episode of Martha and Mary is probably the most well known story of the two
women. Moreover, it is also most likely the most well known dinner party our
Lord attended (presuming that the wedding feast in Cana was much more than a
simple “dinner party”).

The
final phrase of the Gospel account – “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and
worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the
better part and it will not be taken from her.” – led many of the Church
Fathers, and also St. Thomas Aquinas, to consider the relation between the
active and the contemplative lives.

Martha,
of course, represents the active life. Mary, the contemplative life. Studying
this narrative, theologians have pondered: What is the greatest vocation? I
will here present the answer of St. Thomas Aquinas in condensed form, with some
small applications to our own day. (See ST II-II, qq.179-184)

Saturday, July 10, 2010

The
Parable of the Good Samaritan contains the narrative of salvation history,
beginning with the Fall of Adam and continuing through the founding of the
Church even until the Second Coming of our Savior and the Day of Judgment.

The
following interpretation is based on the Catena
Aurea of St. Thomas Aquinas (Luke 10:29-35).

Jesus replied,
"A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.

A man, this refers to Adam (the
name means man). Fell victim to robbers, this is the fall of Adam, which was
hastened by the temptation of the evil one. Likewise, all who have sinned since
Adam, fall to the temptation of Satan and his wicked angels who are robbers. Adam is said to have fallen as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho,
for Jerusalem is a symbol of paradise, Jericho a symbol of the fallen world.
Jerusalem is a sign of sinless-ness and immortality, Jericho signifies
mortality and death. Adam first turned away from God, thus he was unable to resist
the temptations of the evil one.